Queens College Marks Completion of Renovations to Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

--Four Campus Arts Venues—the Godwin-Ternbach Museum, Music Building, Goldstein Theatre, and Colden Auditorium—Officially Reopen After Two Years of Renovations--

FLUSHING, NY, June 11, 2012 – A ceremonial ribbon-cutting and reception were held today in the lobby of Queens College’s Colden Auditorium to mark the official reopening of four arts venues within the Selma and Max Kupferberg Center for the Visual and Performing Arts: the Godwin-Ternbach Museum, Music Building, Goldstein Theatre and Colden Auditorium. These renovations, which took two years, include redesigns and enhancements to interior lobbies and facades, as well as new landscaping, signage and updated technical, HVAC and security systems.

(MEDIA: Photos of these four venues are available on request by email.)

Capital funding for the renovations came from several donors, the most significant being Max Kupferberg and his wife, the late Selma Kupferberg, who in 2006 were honored for their $10 million donation to QC—the largest single gift ever received by the college. Their gift was earmarked to support the arts at QC and led to the creation of the Kupferberg Center for the Arts, an umbrella organization that unites the multi-faceted arts programs presented by the college’s academic centers and departments.

Speaking at this event were QC President James Muyskens; Chief Operating Officer and Vice President for Institutional Advancement Sue Henderson; Iris Weinshall, Vice Chancellor for Facilities Planning, Construction and Management of the City University of New York; Max Kupferberg; and elected officials. Members of the QC Foundation, representatives from local arts institutions, college officials and students also attended.

“Today we celebrate the vision and generosity of Selma and Max Kupferberg, two selfless benefactors who share the college’s belief in the life-changing power of the arts,” said President Muyskens. “Thanks to their financial support, QC is now firmly on the path of making the Kupferberg Center the best arts center in Queens.”

Other supporters include the City University of New York/Dormitory Authority of the State of New York; Queens Borough President Helen Marshall; the Queens delegation of the New York City Council: Tony Avella, Leroy Comrie, James Gennaro and Melinda Katz; New York State Senator Toby Stavisky and former State Senator Frank Padavan; and Brooklyn Community Foundation (formerly Independence Community Foundation).

“We’ve arrived at this milestone event today because of the vision of President James Muyskens for the arts—his belief in their power to enrich individuals, the campus, and the wider community,” said Max Kupferberg. “I thank him and all the people here who worked so hard to make that vision a reality, and I am especially proud that Queens College can now offer New Yorkers this transforming experience in such beautifully renovated venues.”

The Kupferberg Center provides year-round cultural programming, including music and dance performances, art exhibitions, plays and literary readings for over 21,000 members of the campus community and for the borough’s 2.2 million residents. Each year well over 350,000 people attend these programs at Queens College and at off-site neighborhood locations. In addition to the four re-opened arts venues, the Center also encompasses Kupferberg Center Performances, QC Art Center, Department of Drama, Theatre and Dance, Aaron Copland School of Music, Louis Armstrong House Museum and the Department of Media Studies.

“The renovations to the Kupferberg Center have already made a tremendous impact on the visual landscape of the Queens College campus,” said Director Vivian Charlop. “We are confident that they will also greatly enhance the comfort and enjoyment of our patrons who attend the stellar performances, exhibitions and other events in all the spaces.”

Also acknowledged for their contributions to the renovations were the architects, WASA/Studio A, Martin Kapell, Partner, and the construction management company, The LIRo Group, Martin Burton, Senior Vice President.

Max Kupferberg has been exceptionally active in the religious, educational, civic and financial life of the borough. The founder of Kepco, Inc., an electronics equipment manufacturer and mainstay of the Flushing business community, the former physics major is a dedicated alumnus whose family has been supporting the college since the early 1980s.

Queens College boasts a student body from over 170 different countries who speak more than 90 languages. Located on a beautiful 77-acre campus in Flushing, New York, QC opened its doors in 1937 with the goal of offering a first-rate education to talented people of all backgrounds and financial means. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY) since its founding in 1961, Queens College is one of CUNY’s largest senior colleges. It enjoys a national reputation for its liberal arts and sciences and pre-professional programs, and was cited in the 2012 edition of The Princeton Review The Best 376 Colleges for its academic excellence and generous financial aid packages. Over 120,000 students have graduated since the college’s first class of 1941. Alumni include such household names as Paul Simon and Jerry Seinfeld, as well as such elected officials as Congressman Joseph Crowley, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and NYS Senator Jose Peralta, the CEOs of major companies, and leaders in the fields of medicine, education, media and the law.